Assassin's Creed: Phoenix Rising
by ThatConverseGirl
Summary: It's three hundred years after Desmond's death, and things are a lot different. The Brotherhood has slowly stared to deteriorate from the inside out, and only one girl can change it all: Avery. Follow her as she finds truth, answers, justice, freedom, and honor. (RATED T FOR LANGUAGE. You have been warned. All O.C.)
1. Prologue

Silence. That was all that greeted Avery "Phoenix" Hawking as she slowly helped who few survived pull bodies from the rubble of their compound. She was numb, tired, and overall, confused. Why? Why would he betray the very man everyone looked up to?

She continued to ponder such until another explosion shook the ground, causing everyone around her to look towards the east, the direction of the explosion.

A few of them drew swords, but Avery, a simple recruit of the lowest rank, gestured for them to replace their swords into their scabbards. Hesitantly, they did so, looking lost.

A small girl stumbled from between two smaller piles of rubble, her tiny face scratched and bloody; it looked as if she had been slashed across the eye.

Avery winced, and beckoned the child over. Instantly the girl ran towards her, and Avery scooped the brunette girl into her arms. Turning to the twenty or so men and women, all older, all higher-ranked than she, Avery spoke. "Gather all the children. Leave the bodies. The traitors will burn them, but it may give their poor souls a chance to scatter to the four winds."

They dashed away, combat boots crunching ominously in the baked and cracked ground. Avery's jeans were sooty, bloody, and slashed-up; she didn't exactly care either, but as two more children ran towards her, she had no choice but to find stable shelter. The two girls, one blonde, other brunette, were sobbing, and the boy, who looked eight and three years the superior when it came to the young, looked determined.

The other group members had found solid ground where a stable stone church stood. They scattered, looking for supplies or anything of use.

Avery was cleaning up the first girl's wound when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. "Phoenix!"

She turned to see the Grand Master, Johan Tsarev, stumbling towards her.

"Master!" Avery cried, and set down the master beside the girl, who, as the girl cried out, was the daughter of the Master.

She finished with the girl, stating she would he blind in her left eye for the rest of her life. The Master had simply nodded, face ashen with blood loss.

"Where was he struck?" She asked the hands of the Master.

They argued in their native language, but in the end, they said, "Lower back."

She blew her fiery red hair out of her face, and nodded. With an apologetic look, she promptly lifted the Master's shirt, revealing what she expected; a very grievous wound close to the spinal cord, about three inches deep and twelve inches long, and the depth deepest in the center, as if made by an ax.

Avery cleaned the wound, and then stitched it up with several of her own herbal remedies and bandaged it. "I have done all I can, Master. I will have the remedies delivered to your room with fresh bandages when you must change them."

"Thank you Phoenix." He sighed, gray eyes worried.

"Master, your daughter will adapt. She is young, very young. She will adapt faster than if you or even I were to suffer such a wound." Phoenix exchanged glances with the brunette girl's one hazel eye, the other shut. "She was brave."

"She reminds me of her mother." He sighed heavily.

"Master, Madonna Faye was a brilliant fighter. It was a coward's blow that cut her down, and any good soldier wouldn't have done it unless they had no other choice."

Stained glass windows were shattered as yet another explosion, this time much closer, sent shockwaves across the ground. Avery pulled the Master's daughter close, along with her younger brother. The Master himself jumped up, swearing. "It isn't safe here!"

"Nowhere is safe!" Avery cried over the groaning of the old church. "Grab all the children, leave no man behind! Move it, men!" She shouted at the warriors, who were all higher-ranked than she.

They scrambled to follow her orders, and she scooped up as many as she could, and even the bodyguards of the Master were following her orders.

They fled the church to face the total destruction around them, the night sky orange with flames and the air acrid with smoke. She could see the crowing flames racing on the dry thatch roofing of the stone and mud huts of the village, and barked to the group, "Stay away from the buildings!"

Shouts could be heard, followed by the sound of the boots crunching into the baked ground and swords being drawn. Growling, she handed the three children in her arms to a member that had just caught up with them, and wheeled to face the traitors, swords drawn.

"Phoenix!" Johan called, spinning around to face her back.

Avery's fire-red hair almost matched the sky. Her stormy gray eyes were blacker than the black smoke, and her slim frame was a beacon of anger against the violent backdrop.

"I'll be fine." She called back, each of her odd swords seeming to dance with light. "Just go, protect the children, and don't worry."

The group dashed off as the traitors closed in.

The very people Avery had once stood by, trained with, and lived with, stood in front of her, swords and spears glinting in the smoky orange haze. Maxe, her once-best friend, glared at her from under black bangs and braids. Her leather jacket and the rest of her clothing was black, and her skin was a dark tan, darker still with soot, and ice blue eyes seemed to pierce Avery's eyes. Her hand-and-a-half sword was in her left hand, shield with the Cross on it on her right arm.

"Maxene." Avery stated, not even bothering to use the name she was given at the beginning of her training.

"Phoenix. What a... _Pleasant_ surprise." She sneered, and her comrades snickered. "You cannot dare to match all of us." Maxe started to circle her, as if observing every move. _These fools!_ A unknown voice cried in Avery's mind. _They will not mess with me._

"I don't need to." Avery said, keeping note of where she was and how fast she was moving. "You'll kill yourself."

A laugh broke the silence. "Ha! You, a rookie, on a mission to kill us all? You were always the goodie-goodie, Avery; and it will be the very death of you."

_Give me control, girl,_ the centuries-old voice crooned. _They will all die._

_Who the hell are you?_ Avery mentally shouted, and felt the voice withdraw.

Avery didn't answer Maxe. She was better than they thought, if just a little prayer worked her way.

She knew the second Maxe decided to take a stab at her, and spun to kick the blade out of her hand. Her booted foot was caught and twisted, casing Avery to fall, blades spinning away from her. She felt some energy leave her, but not enough to hinder her progress.

Maxe pinned her down before she could move. "Sad excuse you had to not join us, Avery. Your life would've been spared." The tip of her hand-and-a-half sword pressed against Avery's throat, right in the hollow. Avery spat at Maxe, snarling as she whistled.

A shrill shriek came from above, and a figure dove to attack Maxe before knocking the sword away from her and returning Avery's to her.

"What? Impossible..." Maxe cried, slicing at the phoenix.

The fiery bird shrieked again before melting into the swords in Avery's hands as she stood. "You are a fool for not seeing it, Maxene. You were a fool to challenge me." Avery heard the tone and sound of her voice, realizing it was not her own, and that she was no longer in control of her actions. All she could do was watch.

Avery closed in on Maxe, and the other people who were with her suddenly were crushed by falling trees. She stumbled and fell as Avery pinned her on the ground, feeling that same voice shouting from her mouth in a language she knew none of, but understood every single word.

Maxe quailed as the sword points plunged into her throat on either side, slashing the aortic artery and spinal cord. A swift death, for a traitor.

All the energy seemed to drain from Phoenix, and she diminished visibly. She turned her eyes northward, where her companions were waiting.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE.

_I got tired of people telling me where to go and who to be. _No one knew me like I did- not my brothers, my sisters, or my friends. And I made sure they could see me drift, change, shape into the rebellious girl I am. Though my loyalty still lies with my Master, who has since passed, leaving me his appointed successor.

That night I killed Maxe was the night I learned who I was, and who I needed to be to get this order back to its former glory and overthrow those traitors. But so few of us remain, and those who do are well-hidden and do not want to be found.

After I left Maxe to be burned by the spreading fires, I rushed out of the village, only to see my Master dying of a thrusted blade into his heart.

I remember not being able to speak, and being the only one he allowed at his side. I tried to stop the bleeding- I really did. But it was far too fatal to survive.

As everyone gathered around to hear his last words, he said, "As is my duty as the Grand Master, now of a broken brotherhood, to appoint a new leader." I could see the others standing straighter, wiping soot off their jackets, and finger combing their hair.

The Master's gray eyes settled upon me, and he raised his right hand to place it on my left shoulder. "This girl, Phoenix, has demonstrated extreme loyalty to me, to my family, and to herself. I expect you to follow her orders as you would mine, until she too appoints the Master after her."

"A woman cannot lead," a boy scoffed. "What are the chances of us surviving now?"

I sat in stunned silence as the Master passed on, and in his grasp on my shoulder, was the famed Key.

The Key to the Vault.

This position settled within me with a sense of duty. I couldn't tell you what made me do what I did next, but as I stood, sliding the chain over my head, I said, "Men. Women. I know you don't want to follow me, but if you do not, and you try to overthrow me, I'm afraid I am now bound to this position for the rest of my life. So therefore I have the right to kill you."

A silence settled on the group, the numbers slowly diminishing as people walked off, not wanting to follow a girl.

Eventually only a small group of ten remained, and as we lifted the Master's body, I saw his daughter staring at me, clutching her younger brother's hand.

I sat in front of them, and gently pulled them into my embrace.

The boy fell asleep almost instantly while the girl sobbed into my shoulder, her tears seeping through my shirt.

I stood, carrying them and ignoring the other's offers to take them, I led the way through the forest until dawn.

"Phoenix," called one of the older women. "We must stop. The children are exhausted and need food and water."

I paused, then nodded. "Come. I will show you my home away from home, though I suppose it is my home now." I drifted northward, and they had no choice but to follow me.

A few more minutes of hiking and the hidden cave came into sight, the woven vines obvious, but that's what everyone overlooked. The obvious.

I pressed forward, pushing past the vines, down the steep slope, and into the large cavern. The small group gasped at the furred furnishings, rugs, tapestries, clothes, and pillows. The ceiling reached over a hundred feet high and a clear, pristine river rushed by on one side, a small fence barring the way so no one fell over.

A small gasp shot through the group as I lit the first torch, then the second, until the entire cavern was illuminated and the fire was lit.

I laid the children down on a pile of pillows, covering them with a bear fur blanket.

As we sat around the fire, the kids curled together to help retain warmth, Colette, the only other girl in the group, began singing, her voice soft, sweet, and sorrowful.

David, one of the younger people, pulled out his flute, blowing a soft tune to her song. I dug around a bit before pulling out a guitar, adding a slight, haunting sound to it with my own, deeper, raspier voice.

Colette, a girl of seventeen, black hair, violet eyes, and tan skin, was the very image everyone wanted to be. Rocked black, quiet, shy, and honest were things used to describe that strange girl. David, a mere boy of thirteen, was Colette's little brother and looked- and acted- the part.

As the song cascaded to an end, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Ave! Where are you you lazy girl!"

My head snapped up and I scanned the room for the sound of the voice. "Damn you Angel," I hissed when I saw the teenage guy sitting in the shadows. I stood up and walked over to him, hauling him over to his feet.

With one arm draped over my shoulder, I helped his limping frame to the fire, where the others looked uncomfortable.

"I didn't know you had company." Colette put in softly.

"Neither did I." Laughed Angel. "I kinda live here."

"Kinda?" Sniffed Jacques, tossing blonde hair out of his brown eyes.

"Not like I can go anywhere." Angel sniffed loudly. "Hey, what's cooking?"

I sniffed the air. "Okay, I'll give you that. Probably some meat I left in the ashes."

"Whatever. Any food?" Angel asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Men and their hunger issues." I grumbled. "How many of you know how to hunt?" Everyone raised their hands. "Good. David, you pick three others for your team and go look for wood and herbs. Daemon, pick three people and go hunt. Try not to damage the pelts; winter is coming and we'll need the furs. Colette, you'll stay with me and Angel and watch the children."

Everyone broke off and did their thing. I pushed Angel's brown hair out of his eyes, which were a bright cobalt. Colette stared at the ground uncomfortably. "Angel?" She asked softly.

"Hmm?" He asked, trying to bat my hand away.

"Are you blind?"

He paused, and even his hand was frozen before it dropped into his lap. "Yes. Yes I am."

"Angel," I said sadly, knowing where he was going. "Don't. Please. I worked so hard to get you out of relapse."

"I know, my firebird, I know." He pulled me a bit closer to him and I curled up in his arms, glad to have my brother back.

"Colette, I'm sorry. This is my brother, Angel. Well, half-brother, father's side." I paused thoughtfully as those freaky eyes of Colette's flickered over to me, the vertical pupil widening.

"So you say. I can see no resemblance between you two." She coughed, spitting blood and a tooth into the fire. "Damn rebels. Always in my way."

"Wait a minute... You're a..." Angel started.

"Hybrid? Yes. Yes I am. And I can see Phoenix there has been... _Enlightened_ with the presence of her second half."

"I don't understand. How am I a hybrid? The animal I was named after has long since been extinct!" I protested.

"And no one has been given the name you have since then either. It is a name given up only rarely, and most of the time it is earned. Johan must've seen something extremely promising when you were being trained, something special. I haven't figured it out yet, but I'm not called a Dragon for nothing."

Angel eyed me curiously, cobalt eyes unseeing. "I don't think she's a Phoenix. There's no way."

"Thanks, Ange." I said sarcastically. "I'm glad you had so much faith in me."

"Oh hush up." He growled, punching my arm playfully.

Colette, whose eyes returned to their normal state, started playing with her knife. Angel was strumming his guitar, and I oiled my bow.

The umpteen children we had with us were all sound asleep, at least, except one.

Johan's daughter Lexia tugged on my shirt. "Miss," she said, her hazel eyes, one slightly clouded, wide. "Will we ever go home again?"

I smoothed her dark hair back, pulling her into my arms. "No, Lexia. We can't. Not for a long time."

"Who did it?" She asked, venom clear in her voice. "Was it the Templars?"

Damn. For a six year old she understands a lot.

"Yes, Lexia." I answered. "The Templars corrupted one of us, and that spread like ivy."

"They will all die for killing my daddy!" She squealed, and it took most of my strength to hold her back.

Colette was watching from under her hair, and then, she said, "Avery. Let her go."

I shot her a look at read _You do not command me_ but I did nonetheless. The little girl launched for a thin branch, slashing and stabbing at shadows from the fire. "Yah!" She cried, and I smiled softly.

Angel cracked a smile, and Colette snickered.

"Come, Lexia," I said softly, opening my arms for the little girl.

She dropped her stick and rushed into my arms, sobbing and whimpering. "I just wanna go home."

"I know, Lexia." I said smoothly. "We all do. And we will, when we take back what was stolen from us. Okay?"

She nodded, and I smoothed down her dark brown hair. "It'll be okay, Lexia. I'll protect you. I'll be your sister, okay? I'll do everything I can to help you and everyone here."

She sniffed, nodding, and pulled away, heading back into the dorm room of the caves.

"Phoenix," David called as he and his group re-entered the caverns. "We're back."

"Good. Stack the wood in a neat pile on the west side of the wall and give me the herbs. I'll be bundling them and drying them."

He and his group obeyed. I sighed, gray eyes travelling towards the ceiling hundreds of feet above us. "Did you run into Daemon or his group while hunting?"

David's right-hand, Marshall, answered, "No, but we did see a storm on the eastern horizon."

I bit my lip. "Okay. I need you to go out and look for them, and tell them to come back with whatever they caught. I'm asking you to also catch whatever you can, but get back before that front hits. I don't need to lose anyone else in the next three months."

"Forgive me, Phoenix, but are you sure? It could be dangerous."

"I am well aware of the risk level, Marshall, but we are Assassins. Danger is in our middle name." I said, meeting his green gaze.

"As you wish." He, David, and the two others bowed and backed out of the cavern, refusing to turn their backs to me.

I sighed, massaging my temples. This Brotherhood was going to need some major changes before it could heal; and I was the one who was going to administer them. _I just hope it doesn't go south._

**Heyo. I've been told there are spelling issues and such. As opposed to telling me that it's there, please tell me what word. if 'phoenix' is spelled wrong, it doesn't come up in spell-check. I than you guys for doing this and pointing out mistakes.**

**Anyway, here's the technical chapter one. I'm going to go into a deeper edit later but I did skim this one. Just let me know if I should change something, like a feature of a character I might've gotten wrong that you picked up on, etc. I'm not perfect!**

**Thanks, people xD**


End file.
